For the first time in New York’s history, residential solar is a cost competitive energy source for many people, which is why Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc., an Ontario based company, has added a residential solar sector to its growing business. With the current economic incentives available for solar projects...

Wayne Post

Writer

Posted Mar. 18, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 18, 2013 at 6:21 PM

Posted Mar. 18, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 18, 2013 at 6:21 PM

Ontario, N.Y.

For the first time in New York’s history, residential solar is a cost competitive energy source for many people, which is why Sustainable Energy Developments, Inc., an Ontario based company, has added a residential solar sector to its growing business. With the current economic incentives available for solar projects in the State, SED, recognizes the opportunity available to homeowners and small business owners to save money by producing their own energy instead of paying a utility company.

SED offers homeowners a free analysis of their site to assess sun exposure, building conditions, and electrical infrastructure. SED will then provide results of the analysis that will include options for size, financing from local banks and economic returns. A residential solar system can produce positive cash flow the day that it is turned on with the sun supplying free electricity for a household’s needs. The energy produced while the sun is shining, coupled with the tax benefits, will pay for a system in well under ten years.

SED will focus its residential solar efforts on the greater Rochester area, with its first customer located just down the road from the office in Ontario. A project close to home is familiar to the company, as SED recently installed an 850kW wind turbine at HARBEC Plastics, which is located with SED in the Wayne Industrial Sustainability Park.

“It’s refreshing to work so close to home and to see the economic and environmental benefits, on our way to and from work every day,” said Schulte. “We hope that our neighbors understand that the benefits are not just for the project’s owner and end user. The whole community benefits because local jobs are created and traffic is generated for local businesses, as well.”

SED has experience in both roof and ground mounted commercial scale solar projects in Virginia and Massachusetts. Under the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) NY-Sun Competitive PV Program, pushed by Governor Cuomo, SED has a pipeline of commercial scale solar energy projects set for 2013 in New York. The success in commercial scale solar coupled with the addition of NYSERDA incentives of $175 million for solar systems smaller than 50kW, allowed the SED Board of Directors to explore more development options, resulting in a residential solar business plan.

As the fastest growing industry in the United States, solar technologies provided enough electricity to power 730,000 American homes by the end of 2011. New York is poised to be a leader in residential solar, and SED is eager to put New York on top nationally.

SED offers over 10 years of distributed renewable energy generation experience in addition to relationships with manufacturers, funding agencies and financiers.